Door Finishing Information
What is finishing?
Finishing is the act of applying a permanent seal on a wood surface, the multi-step procedure of the preparation that culminates with the painting or staining of any wood product giving that products surface a permanent seal.
Why do wood doors need to be finished?
From a decorative perspective finishing your wood doors will bring out the richness of the wood while enhancing the doors natural beauty. On the practical side wood is a living thing constantly adjusting to its environment. Wood is also hygroscopic, this means it has a tendency to readily absorb moisture. This moisture must be blocked to prevent warping and deterring other possible damage that may be incurred. Finishing your hardwood doors will stabilize the moisture content and also help protect from everyday handling and wear & tear.
How will I know what the wood will look like when my door is finished?
We have two alternatives for you, so that you will know how your finishing will look before you even order one of our doors. After narrowing down your wood choice(s) we suggest that you order corner section(s) to see first hand not only the wood grain pattern but also how our doors are constructed. Many of our customers order several different corner section wood types, then keep the wood sample that they like best, using it to experiment with staining or other finishing techniques to see how the wood will look when completed. When the other corner sections are returned in the same condition they were sent, your money will be refunded for all returned corner samples, making your only incurred expense the cost of shipping. We also have sample kits of our wood species available in thin, approximately 8'' X 5'' rectangular pieces. These wood finishing sample kits cost $10 which also includes the cost of shipping. Whether using a corner section or a piece of wood from our stain kit, you will have to use the actual sandpaper grit, stain, finish, or paint, and technique that you will be using to finish your door to get an accurate view of what your finished door will look like.
How long will it take to finish my doors?
The amount of humidity in the air will control the drying time of your paint, stain, or varnish and ultimately will dictate the length of time it will take you to finish. If conditions are right, and you have the proper set up, finishing a door may be completed in as little as four hours but if the humidity levels are high it could take days. Make sure that all the steps are applied accordingly and do not attempt to rush. Please remember that if you want to have great looking doors now and for years to come you must not forget that finishing is a multi-step process, with none of the steps being especially hard, but if done correctly you will have some time invested.
Where should I put my doors if I receive them but am not ready to finish them yet?
Unfinished doors should not remain unfinished for prolonged periods of time. They should be finished as soon as possible. If you must store them make sure the doors are kept in a well ventilated, clean, and dry environment away from direct sunlight. Do not store them in a garage or on concrete of any kind. Store your doors by standing them vertically with the first door leaning against a solid wall, continue to build the stack outward. When stacking, cover the doors while still allowing for adequate air circulation throughout the stack. The doors should never be subjected to extremes of heat, cold, dryness, or humidity.
What type of wood do you recommend for painting?
The lower cost and finer grain associated with a poplar type of wood make it an ideal species of wood for painting.
What are the steps I should take for painting my interior
doors?
1.The preparation of the wood is the most
important step in painting your hardwood doors. The doors
should be at the finishing location for one or two days
prior to any work being done on them, this will condition
the wood, allowing it to adjust to temperature and humidity
levels. The best way to finish the door properly is to
already have it prehung and then remove it from the hinges.
2.All door surfaces must be clean and dry and should be
closely inspected for any foreign material, slight imperfection,
or blemish caused by handling. Remove any of these problem
areas by sanding. Sand with the grain to keep cross-grain
scratching from occurring. Do not forget, the door surface
consists of all six sides, right, left, front, back, top,
bottom, and all door surfaces must be finished to properly
seal the wood and stabilize the moisture content.
3.At Hartford Building Products our doors are first machine sanded
then they receive a 120 grit hand sanding prior to shipping.
There is no need to go to a finer grit for any touch up
sanding as 120 grit will serve the purpose for painting
quite well. When your touch up sanding has been completed
wipe the door clean with a soft tack cloth or any clean,
dry, lint free cloth, to remove all of the dust and debris.
4.The door is now ready for a primer base coat. As with
any painting project be sure to use a oil based finish
paint with a oil based primer, or a latex based finish
with a latex based primer, but do not mix the two. Apply
a minimum of one base coat. Let the primer base coat dry
thoroughly, and be sure to check the color consistency
and paint smoothness before applying another coat.
5.A minimum of two coats of finish paint can then be applied
on top of your base primer. Allow adequate drying time
between all coats.
6.Thoroughly inspect your finished paint job before rehanging
your doors back on the hinges.
7.Take a step back, admire your job well done, and enjoy
your beautiful doors for many years to come.
What type of wood do you recommend for staining?
Since most wood species will readily accept stain, and every person has a different idea of what they think there doors should look like, this alone makes it extremely difficult to recommend a particular wood type. If you factor in the amount of possible combinations between wood, stain, and staining technique, you can understand the difficulty. We do recommend that you view one of our previous question and answer topics: How will I know what the wood will look like when my door is finished?